COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State (2-2 overall, 1-0 Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) men’s volleyball team needed only 77 minutes to defeat Ball State (1-1, 1-1) 15-12, 15-2, 15-12 Thursday night in St. John Arena in front of 243 fans. The sixth-ranked (USA TODAY/AVCA Coaches Poll) Buckeyes got a match-high 11 kills (hitting .625) from Rene’ Esteves and first time starter Pieter Olree added 10 as Ohio State opened the defense of its MIVA regular season championship. Cardinal Dainis Matison scored a team high 10 kills with Jason Fehr adding nine.

Ohio State tied the match at one-all and then took a 6-2 lead thanks to two kills by Olree, a solo block by Phil Kerewich, and triple block by Kerewich, Colin McMillan and Angel Aja and a Cardinal error. Ball State closed to within one at 6-5 on a kill by Jason Fehr and two OSU errors. The Buckeyes then scored four consecutive points on a BSU error, a kill by Olree, a block by Aja and Rene’ Esteves and a kill by Esteves. A Pat Damm kill and an two OSU errors cut the lead to 10-8. Ball State took a 12-11 lead thanks to an error and kills by Brent Schulz, Mike Munday and Matison. An OSU ace serve by Greg Lehman and three Cardinal hitting errors finished the game at 15-12. The Buckeyes hit .237 for the game to .108 for Ball State.

The Buckeyes took a quick 11-0 lead in game two thanks to a balance of blocks and kills. Ball State scored on a OSU hitting error and an ace serve by Jason Fehr. OSU then scored on a block by Kerewich and Aja and a kill by Kerewich to reach game point at 14-2. A Cardinal hitting error ended the game at 15-2. The Buckeyes hit .550 with only one error while Ball State was at .000

Ball State held a four-two lead in game three before OSU scored four consecutive points on an ace by Aja, a block by Olree and Todd Hill, a solo block by Olree and a Cardinal error to lead 6-4. The Buckeyes ran the lead to 9-4 on two BSU errors and a block by Aja and Esteves. OSU held a 9-6 lead when OSU committed two hitting errors followed by a block by Doug Market and Brent Schulz, a kill by Market and another OSU error to tie the game at nine. The Buckeye went ahead (10-9) on a block by Olree and Hill. Two Cardinal errors extended the OSU lead to 12-9. Ball State’s Mike Munday and Brent Schulz then blocked the OSU hitter and another Buckeye error closed the lead to 12-11. Ohio State extended the lead to 14-11 on back-to-back blocks by Kerewich and Hill and Hill and Aja. The Cardinals blocked for point 12 with Dainis Matison and Mark Lau receiving the credit. OSU’s Todd Hill got the side out for OSU and a kill by Lehman was for game point at 15-12. The Buckeye hit .171 for the game to .114 for Ball State.

Ohio State had the edge in the statistics, outhitting Ball State .280 to .087. The Buckeyes outblocked BSU 16 to six with Angel Aja have a match high seven assist blocks. OSU had the advantage in digs, 22-15 and had a four-two margin in ace serves.

The Buckeyes conclude a four-match home stand next Wednesday when they host league foe Mercyhurst at 7 p.m. in St. John Arena